Library builder

Once you’ve finished with the exterior through walls, it’s time to raise the exterior butt walls. Remember that you want the butt walls’ double top plates to be about 3/4 in. longer than the top plates (5/4 in. for 2×6 walls) so that they will lap over the through walls’ top plates. This can make […]

Start with one of the exterior through walls. Make sure there is no debris beneath the plates before raising the walls upright. If the wall is flat on the deck, stick the claw of a hammer into the double top plate, lift the wall up a bit, and put a 2x block under the wall. […]

In some parts of the country, carpenters raise the walls before cutting and nailing on the double top plate. In my opinion, the time to nail on the double top plate is now—while the wall is still flat on the floor. Otherwise, you will have to use a ladder. The top plate is an impor­tant […]

Like headers, outside corners and channels can be built in a number of different ways, and preferences tend to be regional. The most common constructions are shown in the illustration below. A two-stud outside corner works well in most cases, but if you are planning to install clapboard or fiber-cement siding directly to the studs […]

I begin framing by building the door and window assemblies. All window headers and most door headers need top cripples (sometimes called jacks) and all rough sills need bottom cripples (see the illustration on the facing page). A chopsaw worker has probably already cut these to size and grouped and labeled them. Grab an armload […]

Dull tips are IIP useful! When you need to drive a nail near the end of a board, first blunt the tip of the nail. This helps prevent splitting the wood.   When you come to a door or window open­ing, just continue the stud layout, marking cripple locations on the headers and the rough […]

Nailed between studs, blocking provides solid backing for items such as towel racks, closet shelves, and safety grab bars. Blocking ensures that the mounting hardware for those devices can be anchored with screws driven into solid wood, so that you don’t have to worry about racks, bars, and shelves pulling loose. It’s smart to include […]

Building walls is like baking a cake. Success depends on having all the right ingredients. When you mark the plates, you’re setting the exact locations for all of the headers, cripples, studs, corners, and wall intersections associated with each wall in the house. Mark corners and channels first When marking up each plate, start with […]

STUDS are spaced on 16-in. or 24-in. centers. The length of the stud determines the overall height of the wall. Stan­dard stud length is 92% in. KING STUDS are full-length studs used on either side of a door or window opening. They back up trimmer studs and are nailed against the ends of the header […]